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Evening Times
11/18/93
Joint drug task force break-up set for next Feb. 1
By Lenice Watkins
Evening Times Staff Writer
Noting that it is "best for everybody concerned," West Memphis Mayor Keith Ingram said Wednesday the city will cease being a part of Crittenden County's Drug Task Force as of next Feb. 1.
"There are some things that happened that bothered us which we're concerned about," Ingram commented as he made the announcement during a special called meeting of the unit's board of directors at its administrative office in West Memphis. The mayor is a member of the board.
Ingram explained that the city will remain a part of the unit until the end of the current grant period, Feb. 1 next year, but said the city will not be a party to the county's application to the state for a task force grant for 1994.
Board member and county Judge Brian Williams, who presided at the session, said the group would proceed with the application for next year's funding, which must be submitted by Nov. 30.
West Memphis Police Chief Bobby Sanders, also a board member, pointed out that the city contributes $200,000 a year to the task force. "If we can't get $18,000 while putting up $200,000, it's better to get out," Sanders declared.
He was referring to the quorum court's recent tabling of a task force request for that amount to put two more officers on the unit.
Referring to the same matter, Marion Mayor Bigger, who is also a member of the unit's board, said it is an "insult to me" if a recommendation that he supports is not approved by the quorum court. "I really hate to see West Memphis pull out," Bigger commented. He acknowledged that Marion contributed no money to the task force.
Last February, the unit was named the best such task force in Arkansas and one of the top rural task forces in the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice. Currently, seven West Memphis police officers, one Marion policeman and four deputy sheriffs make up the drug-fighting task force.
The unit is said to have a bank account totaling more than $1 million, the result of seizures relating to drug law violations. Ingram said he would meet with the county judge to see if they could come up with a fair distribution of the money.
Acknowledging that the unit has "accomplished a lot," Ingram noted that West Memphis has contributed $540,000 to the task force, compared to $150,000 from the county.
"There's more the city can do if we separate this thing," the mayor said. His concern is "not only the quorum court," Ingram added. Matters involving West Memphis should be addressed by the city, the mayor said, indicating that is not the case with the present setup of the unit.
The task force is commanded by Capt. Tony Miller and its No. 2 man is Lt. James Sudbury.
Ingram has expressed concern about a current Arkansas State Police investigation of an incident involving several task force officers who allegedly used racial slurs and is accused of physically abusing a 16-year-old West Memphis High School student.
The special meeting had been scheduled so board members could hear from Charles R. Easterling, a deputy prosecutor and coordinator of the Second Judicial Drug Task Force of Jonesboro who handles drug cases for that drug unit. The local board members have expressed interest in hiring an administrator-attorney to handle drug cases and wanted to see how such a setup works in Craighead County.
According to Easterling, the judicial drug unit uses the Jonesboro Police Department pay scale for its officers. The starting salary for its officers is the same, he said. He explained that the unit used to rotate its officers every two years, but that now officers remain on it unless the supervising officer suggests a change or unless an officer asks to be taken off.
His unit gets "very, very" few complaints, Easterling noted, in answer to a question from board member and county Sheriff Dick Busby.
Other board members attending the special meeting were Marion Police Chief John Griffin and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney James C. "Jimbo" Hale.
An administrator-attorney for the local drug unit was suggested by Second Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Brent Davis of Jonesboro. The suggestion was included in a letter from Davis to task force board members regarding the recently completed Arkansas State Police investigation of the unit regarding drugs and weapons confiscated by it.
The prosecuting attorney noted in his letter that there was not enough evidence to warrant prosecution but recommended policy changes in the operation of the task force.
scans:
home.comcast.net/~wm3file...93c_01.jpg
home.comcast.net/~wm3file...93c_02.jpg
Evening Times
11/18/93
Joint drug task force break-up set for next Feb. 1
By Lenice Watkins
Evening Times Staff Writer
Noting that it is "best for everybody concerned," West Memphis Mayor Keith Ingram said Wednesday the city will cease being a part of Crittenden County's Drug Task Force as of next Feb. 1.
"There are some things that happened that bothered us which we're concerned about," Ingram commented as he made the announcement during a special called meeting of the unit's board of directors at its administrative office in West Memphis. The mayor is a member of the board.
Ingram explained that the city will remain a part of the unit until the end of the current grant period, Feb. 1 next year, but said the city will not be a party to the county's application to the state for a task force grant for 1994.
Board member and county Judge Brian Williams, who presided at the session, said the group would proceed with the application for next year's funding, which must be submitted by Nov. 30.
West Memphis Police Chief Bobby Sanders, also a board member, pointed out that the city contributes $200,000 a year to the task force. "If we can't get $18,000 while putting up $200,000, it's better to get out," Sanders declared.
He was referring to the quorum court's recent tabling of a task force request for that amount to put two more officers on the unit.
Referring to the same matter, Marion Mayor Bigger, who is also a member of the unit's board, said it is an "insult to me" if a recommendation that he supports is not approved by the quorum court. "I really hate to see West Memphis pull out," Bigger commented. He acknowledged that Marion contributed no money to the task force.
Last February, the unit was named the best such task force in Arkansas and one of the top rural task forces in the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice. Currently, seven West Memphis police officers, one Marion policeman and four deputy sheriffs make up the drug-fighting task force.
The unit is said to have a bank account totaling more than $1 million, the result of seizures relating to drug law violations. Ingram said he would meet with the county judge to see if they could come up with a fair distribution of the money.
Acknowledging that the unit has "accomplished a lot," Ingram noted that West Memphis has contributed $540,000 to the task force, compared to $150,000 from the county.
"There's more the city can do if we separate this thing," the mayor said. His concern is "not only the quorum court," Ingram added. Matters involving West Memphis should be addressed by the city, the mayor said, indicating that is not the case with the present setup of the unit.
The task force is commanded by Capt. Tony Miller and its No. 2 man is Lt. James Sudbury.
Ingram has expressed concern about a current Arkansas State Police investigation of an incident involving several task force officers who allegedly used racial slurs and is accused of physically abusing a 16-year-old West Memphis High School student.
The special meeting had been scheduled so board members could hear from Charles R. Easterling, a deputy prosecutor and coordinator of the Second Judicial Drug Task Force of Jonesboro who handles drug cases for that drug unit. The local board members have expressed interest in hiring an administrator-attorney to handle drug cases and wanted to see how such a setup works in Craighead County.
According to Easterling, the judicial drug unit uses the Jonesboro Police Department pay scale for its officers. The starting salary for its officers is the same, he said. He explained that the unit used to rotate its officers every two years, but that now officers remain on it unless the supervising officer suggests a change or unless an officer asks to be taken off.
His unit gets "very, very" few complaints, Easterling noted, in answer to a question from board member and county Sheriff Dick Busby.
Other board members attending the special meeting were Marion Police Chief John Griffin and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney James C. "Jimbo" Hale.
An administrator-attorney for the local drug unit was suggested by Second Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Brent Davis of Jonesboro. The suggestion was included in a letter from Davis to task force board members regarding the recently completed Arkansas State Police investigation of the unit regarding drugs and weapons confiscated by it.
The prosecuting attorney noted in his letter that there was not enough evidence to warrant prosecution but recommended policy changes in the operation of the task force.
scans:
home.comcast.net/~wm3file...93c_01.jpg
home.comcast.net/~wm3file...93c_02.jpg
